On the Record
with Sam
7/9/03
Your assignment if you accept it: Cover 23 Sports featuring over 700
athletes, and multiply it times 3. Welcome to the world of Sam
Eggleston. As the sports editor of the Novi News, his gargantuan task is
truly underestimated but very appreciated, even if people don’t take the
time to say so.
Dick Schaap, my friend for over a decade often said the job of a
journalist is to make ‘em laugh, make ‘em think, and piss ‘em off every
once in a while. Sam probably goes 3 for 3 in my book, and I know the
third category is never, ever intentional.
Does he play favorites? C'mon… ”I don’t have favorites” Sam stated, I
love football, basketball, hockey, softball, you name it, I love them
all.” Do some sports get covered more than others? Sure, but some sports
carry a big influx of information and accessibility that other sports
don’t.
Does Sam have a preference for boys sports over girls athletics?
Absolutely not. There are periods where certain things are newsworthy,
and other times where it’s just the opposite.
Does Sam give disproportionate coverage to certain athletes. Well, if
they are all-state, or if their performances warrant multiple mentions
in the same article due to their outstanding performances, well then,
it’s really just a matter of reporting the facts.
Can Sam be in three places at once? Even Clark Kent couldn’t do that and
he was the top reporter at the Daily Planet. “There’s no doubt that I
can’t be at every game that’s going on during the multiple seasons.”
“There are only so many hours in the week and game coverage is only part
of the process.” “Much time is spent writing, making deadlines, and
paginating the paper,” Sam pointed out.
The finished product is the Novi News Sports Section and people clamor
to get it every week. When a young athlete sees their name in the paper,
it’s like their 10 feet tall and they are on center stage of the field
of dreams. With every passing issue there is a new contest, a new story
and a new journey, and Sam Eggleston takes us there.
Dick Schaap did admit that his favorite sport was…people. In the end
it’s all about the people that make it happen. The sons and daughters,
brothers and sisters, friends and relatives, and fellow students as they
wage battle on the athletic field. And in the end there’s a fresh story
to be told and a new journey to be traveled every Thursday.
Sam Eggleston takes us there every week… And we’re all going along for
the ride.
Enjoy the ride.
(c) 2003 Novi
Information Network
www.novi.org
___________________________________
Bernie Fratto is a freelance writer, radio personality, and
motivational speaker. His passion for sports comes in part from
his experience as a former Cincinnati Red farm- hand. "Behind
every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings"
said Fratto. "These athletic endeavors often serve as a
metaphor for the game we call life."
Bernie is also the voice of Novi Wildcat Hockey
and host of Wildcat Face-off, a local
radio program dedicated to youth sports in Novi.
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